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'It's simply not on': Why NZ Cricket must look within to improve player availability and bring fans back
Ian Smith • March 16th, 2026 10:10 am
Blackcaps at Bay Oval | Photo: Andrew Cornaga/Photosport
Today is about the who, when, and why - and that was never better emphasised than at Bay Oval on Sunday.
Who do you have available to you and when do you play these international matches now, in terms of the cricket?
New Zealand Cricket has to take a really strong hand in this, if they possibly can, or are they guided by overseas influence? For instance, it was a patchwork South African side they played and they gave NZ a flogging, there's no doubt about that.
But on March 5, New Zealand played them in the World Cup. Only four players out of the two starting elevens that day turned up yesterday in Mount Maunganui. That's not on - it's simply not on from a fan's point of view.
I know this year's been a tough one - you throw a World Cup into the middle of our summer and it throws everything out of kilter. But in all honesty, that's not right. You've got to do something about it.
South Africa's Connor Esterhuizen with Blackcaps wicketkeeper Tom Latham watching on | Photo: Andrew Cornaga/Photosport
I can't imagine, having been in India and Sri Lanka for the last six or seven weeks, that they would tolerate that kind of absenteeism from a visiting side and their own side.
Sure, they've had a bit of a workload, but the Blackcaps haven't played a heck of a lot of cricket in the last month. They've been away a lot, and modern society says 'you put family first' - I totally run with that - but, you've still got to be available to wear your national uniform.
New Zealand Cricket is at a bit of a crossroads. They got rid of a CEO - and it seemed from the reaction of the staff and those around him, even certain members of the board, that he was doing quite good job. But it wasn't good enough, so he had to go.
And now we have the resignation of Heath Mills after 25 years of being probably one of the most powerful people in New Zealand Cricket - that will leave a hole in the Players Association, but will also leave one in the direction of New Zealand Cricket because he was a very powerful figure.
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When I witness the passion of cricket in India, players have power over there, but they don't have a Players Association. The power that the players have is that they control the atmosphere of the game - they're the heroes, they're the star factors over in India. We haven't got that here.
When you look at the fanaticism of Indian cricket and you see sell out crowds wherever you go with India playing, we've got no idea. 'We' being the average person in New Zealand who probably has not been to India and witnessed cricket played over there.
We've got some sort of fanaticism about the NZ Warriors - that's probably the biggest one we've got in the country at the moment. But rugby and cricket here in this country, the level of support and the atmosphere around it is just a pimple on the bum of Indian cricket, I can promise you that. It is just so amazing over there, I'm not sure we can ever replicate it but we've got to find a way.
It's time that the NZC Board look at themselves after all that's been happening and perhaps there are changes that need to be made in the leadership and membership of that Board. We've got a great president in Mark Greatbatch - he should be allowed to have some influence in some of the decisions being made, he's got the experience to do so.
But at the moment, New Zealand Cricket, on the back of what we saw yesterday, really should be thinking about the who, the when, and the why.
Tune into Ian Smith on Sport Nation Mornings, 9am to midday, Monday-Wednesday each week.
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